This Year Marks the 19Th for AIN's Survey Of
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A A I I N N r e a d e r s ’ p i c k s f o r t h his year marks the 19th for AIN’s survey of We at AIN prefer not to think of the survey as a e American FBOs. From the start, it has been intend- contest, but the list of the top-ranked operations ed to be an evaluation of the FBOs with which avi- always draws enthusiastic readership among FBO A ation professionals do business, and the survey is management. m T e compiled from ratings made by those profession- This year, we have chosen to list the 40 facilities als. AIN has no input into the ratings. Although the that received an overall average rating of 8.0 or high- r i c evaluations of individual FBOs give the appearance er out of a possible 10. Wilson Air Center of Memphis, a of a contest, there is no voting for a favorite FBO, Tenn. (average rating 9.052), continues its dominance s only numerical evaluations by those familiar with with top-scoring honors for the sixth consecutive ’ the service providers and facilities. The categories survey edition. With its service philosophy based on b in the survey were carefully chosen and adjusted owner Kemmons Wilson’s legacy as founder of the e over the years to reflect the evolving variety of Holiday Inn hotel chain, Wilson topped second-place s t services and facilities offered at FBOs. finisher Regal Aviation of Dallas by 0.291 of a point F This year has seen one major change in the (average rating 8.761). The latter moved up nine posi- B administration of the survey. For the first time, tions from its last-year’s placement. O respondents were invited to perform their evalua- Finishing number three, AirFlite/Avitat at s , tions online at a dedicated, secure Web site, rather Daugherty Field in Long Beach, Calif. (average rat- t than filling out a paper survey form and mailing it ing 8.652), has been a perennial high scorer in the o back. AIN partnered with research firm Forecast AIN survey. In the fourth position this year, new- t International of Newtown, Conn., to establish the comer Tampa International Jet Center (average rat- e Web site and collect the data. ing 8.628), in its second year of operation, is led by a r A total of 12,582 qualified AIN subscribers were industry veteran Phil Botana. Rounding out the top selected to participate in the survey. They were five, Business Jet Center (average rating 8.589), o u notified either by e-mail, fax or letter (including a the popular Love Field (Dallas) facility, moved up t conventional paper questionnaire form for those one notch this year, led by chairman and managing a without Internet access) and instructed how to file general partner Robert Wright. n their evaluation on the secure Web site adminis- Pilots can have strong feelings about the FBOs d tered by Forecast International. The response was they patronize. They are proud professionals in the s gratifying, as legions of cyber-savvy pilots, flight service business themselves. As aviators, they are a department managers and dispatchers embraced trained to have the highest standards of safety v the new Internet-based survey format. and performance. Those standards tend to govern e This year’s response rate was dramatic, as 1,985 their service mentality as well. The relationship f participants completed the questionnaire (only 161 between a business pilot and an FBO is critical. o r of whom stuck with the old-style printed version The pilot depends on the FBO to meet or exceed r sent via snail mail). That represents a response rate the service standards each passenger encounters e f of 15.8 percent, up from 10.3 percent last year when inside the cabin. e only written responses were received. When pilots feel they, or their passengers, have r e Also new for this year, the survey is reporting been treated poorly, they are not shy about passing n FBOs’ evaluations in all four categories numerically on the bad news. Conversely, when they find good c rather than using the colored-dot format from years service, they are equally quick to pass on the infor- e April past. Hard numbers, including the facility’s overall mation. The purpose of AIN’s annual FBO survey is average rating covering all four categories, should to provide a formal, scientific vehicle for that 2006 a l l provide more distinct information for readers. exchange of information.–Mark Phelps, Senior Editor y e a r . April 2006 ¬Indicates FBOs with overall average ratings of 8.0 or higher. Line Pax Pilot Overall Alabama service amenities amenities Facilities average Birmingham Birmingham Int’l (BHM) JetSouth 7.907 7.093 7.340 7.198 7.385 Birmingham Int’l (BHM) Mercury Air Center 7.058 6.269 6.462 6.558 6.587 Huntsville Huntsville Int’l (HSV) Signature Flight Support 6.036 6.211 5.909 6.107 6.066 Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Int’l (ANC) Era Aviation 8.598 7.149 7.361 7.549 7.664 Arizona Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l (PHX) Cutter Aviation 7.652 7.585 7.301 7.762 7.575 Sky Harbor Int’l (PHX) Swift Aviation¬ 7.764 8.452 8.025 8.570 8.203 Scottsdale Scottsdale Municipal (SDL) Corporate Jets¬ 8.277 7.798 7.895 8.044 8.004 Scottsdale Municipal (SDL) Scottsdale Air Center¬ 8.248 8.464 8.255 8.778 8.436 Tucson Tucson Int’l (TUS) Executive Terminal 7.306 6.565 6.306 6.677 6.714 Tucson Int’l (TUS) Trajen FBO Network 7.580 7.020 7.280 7.180 7.265 Arkansas Little Rock Adams Field (LIT) Central Flying Service 7.177 7.027 6.920 7.161 7.071 Rogers Rogers Municipal/Carter Field (ROG) Beaver Lake Aviation 7.672 7.817 8.000 8.300 7.947 California Burbank Bob Hope (BUR) Mercury Air Center 7.424 7.628 7.426 7.885 7.591 Bob Hope (BUR) Million Air 7.838 7.765 7.579 8.075 7.814 Camarillo Camarillo (CMA) Sun Air Jets¬ 8.271 8.208 8.104 8.458 8.260 Carlsbad McClellan-Palomar (CRQ) Jet Source ¬ 7.854 8.042 7.979 8.146 8.005 McClellan-Palomar (CRQ) Western Flight 7.970 6.788 6.919 6.758 7.109 Livermore Livermore Municipal (LVK) City of Livermore 4.077 3.475 3.450 3.925 3.732 Long Beach Daugherty Field (LGB) AirFlite/Avitat ¬ 8.705 8.644 8.442 8.817 8.652 Daugherty Field (LGB) Mercury Air Center 6.870 6.848 6.826 6.913 6.864 Los Angeles Los Angeles Int’l (LAX) Landmark Aviation 7.537 5.238 5.926 5.352 6.013 Los Angeles Int’l (LAX) Mercury Air Center 7.188 6.356 6.447 6.356 6.587 Monterey Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY) Million Air¬ 8.372 8.369 8.221 8.566 8.382 Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY) Monterey Jet Center¬ 8.699 8.404 8.397 8.571 8.518 Napa Napa County (APC) Bridgeford Flying Service 7.092 6.317 6.421 6.275 6.526 Oakland Metropolitan Oakland Int’l (OAK) Business Jet Center¬ 8.289 8.461 8.145 8.421 8.329 Metropolitan Oakland Int’l (OAK) KaiserAir 7.575 7.090 7.114 7.060 7.210 Ontario Ontario Int’l (ONT) Mercury Air Center 7.435 6.826 7.000 6.756 7.004 Palm Springs Jacqueline Cochran Regional (TRM) Million Air (now Signature) 7.677 6.548 6.672 6.623 6.880 Palm Springs Regional (PSP) Atlantic Aviation 7.596 7.426 7.243 7.417 7.421 Palm Springs Regional (PSP) Signature Flight Support 6.806 6.328 6.388 6.418 6.485 San Diego San Diego Int’l (SAN) Jimsair Aviation Services 5.914 5.134 5.039 4.819 5.226 San Francisco San Francisco Int’l (SFO) Signature Flight Support 6.675 6.958 6.802 7.194 6.907 San Jose Norman Mineta San Jose Int’l (SJC) ACM Aviation 8.143 7.364 7.429 7.156 7.523 Norman Mineta San Jose Int’l (SJC) San Jose Jet Center 7.680 7.639 7.578 7.898 7.699 Santa Ana John Wayne/Orange County (SNA) Atlantic Aviation 7.633 7.353 7.550 7.607 7.536 John Wayne/Orange County (SNA) Signature Flight Support 7.654 7.395 7.309 7.617 7.494 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Municipal (SBA) Mercury Air Center 7.156 5.756 5.622 5.533 6.017 Santa Barbara Municipal (SBA) Signature Flight Support 7.170 5.489 6.043 5.723 6.106 Santa Monica Santa Monica Municipal (SMO) Supermarine 7.250 6.771 6.586 6.950 6.889 Van Nuys Van Nuys (VNY) Clay Lacy Aviation 7.712 6.955 6.939 7.015 7.155 Van Nuys (VNY) Million Air 7.185 6.574 6.836 6.327 6.731 Van Nuys (VNY) Petersen Aviation/Avitat¬ 7.957 8.300 8.043 8.643 8.236 Van Nuys (VNY) Raytheon Aircraft Services 7.342 7.367 7.316 7.633 7.415 April 2006 Line Pax Pilot Overall Colorado service amenities amenities Facilities average Aspen Pitkin County/Sardy Field (ASE) Trajen FBO Network 7.886 7.828 7.300 7.966 7.745 Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Municipal (COS) Colorado Jet Center 8.103 7.167 7.323 7.247 7.460 Denver Centennial (APA) Denver Jet Center¬ 8.352 8.198 8.324 8.370 8.311 Centennial (APA) Signature Flight Support 7.354 7.538 7.487 7.937 7.579 Centennial (APA) Tac Air 7.880 7.826 7.848 8.087 7.910 Denver Int’l (DEN) Signature Flight Support 7.265 7.456 7.368 7.544 7.408 Jeffco (BJC) Denver Air Center 7.868 7.776 7.671 7.750 7.766 Jeffco (BJC) Stevens Aviation 7.538 6.410 6.692 6.603 6.811 Grand Junction Walker Field (GJT) West Star Aviation 8.437 7.698 7.721 7.690 7.886 Pueblo Pueblo Memorial (PUB) Flower Aviation 8.635 7.039 7.147 6.825 7.412 Vail Eagle County Regional (EGE) Vail Valley Jet Center¬ 8.103 8.458 8.227 8.618 8.351 Connecticut Windsor Locks Bradley Int’l (BDL) Signature Flight Support¬ 7.796 8.000 8.061 8.204 8.015 Bradley Int’l (BDL) Tac Air 7.267 7.483 7.373 7.627 7.438 District of Columbia Washington, D.C.